The Reframe · Tools ← All tools
A tool from The Reframe · By Rebecca Driscoll, CPA

Should I fire this client?

A structured walk-through, not a verdict. You already know the answer. This tool just makes the picture clear enough that you can stop hesitating.

Step · I

The client

Name them. Specifically. You are not running a hypothetical here.

Step · II

What triggered this?

What did this client do in the last 30 days that made you open this tool? In one paragraph.

Be specific. Not "they are difficult." What did they actually do.

Step · III

The pattern

Check every behavior that fits. You are not exaggerating. You are mapping.

They are routinely late paying invoices
They contact me outside business hours and expect responses
They consistently ask for work outside the scope we agreed to
They badmouth other professionals (their old accountant, attorney, etc.) to me
They are disrespectful to my team
They make me dread seeing their name in my inbox
They never have their documents organized or ready
They negotiate every invoice or quibble over fees
They text or call my personal phone for engagement work
They have asked me to do something I am not comfortable with
They blame me for their tax outcomes when the outcomes are their decisions
They have crossed a clear boundary I have already named to them
Step · IV

The numbers

The dollar value of the engagement, and the friction it adds beyond the work. Same sliders as the Pricing Decision tool. These are the friction inputs.

Annual revenue from this client

Total fees you bill them per year, including bookkeeping, tax, advisory, anything.

Responsiveness
How fast do they reply when you need something?
3/5
Ghosting you Same-day always
Respect for your time
Do they call at 9pm Sunday or wait for business hours?
3/5
Whenever they want Inside the lines
Self-management
Do they bring organized docs or a shoebox?
3/5
Total chaos Already reconciled
Step · V

Your gut

Before any of the other answers. What did your gut say when you opened this tool?

Step · VI

The worst case

If you fired them tomorrow, what is the worst that actually happens? Not the catastrophic version your brain spins up. The literal worst case.

Step · VII

The story

What is the story you are telling yourself about why you cannot do this? One sentence. The actual reason, not the polite one.

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